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Bratwurst served on a fluffy white sausage bun with a generous smear of spicy mustard has 530 calories, 31 grams of fat and 1,909 milligrams of sodium. (Megan Ogilvie photo)

Mr John’s Plantain Chips are made with three ingredients: plantains, canola oil and salt. One half of a 150-gram bag, about 33 chips, has 402 calories, 24 grams of fat and 161 milligrams of sodium. (Megan Ogilvie photo)

Flags are flying. Patios are packed. Already, spirits have soared and hearts have broken with either a defiant win or crushing defeat.

World Cup fever has hit Toronto.

And while thousands of soccer fans congregate in city bars and restaurants to cheer on their favourite team, thousands more choose to root from the comfort of their living rooms, where friends and family and the food can be carefully co-ordinated.

The Dish spoke to several specialty grocery stores in the city to find out what some Torontonians will be eating while watching World Cup matches at home.

With 32 countries participating in the month-long tournament, there are thousands of soccer-watching snacking options, from crisps to croquettes, empanadas to suya beef.

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It was hard to pick just three.

Rick Sontag will not be serving potato chips to friends and family who gather at his house to cheer on the mighty German team.

“We’re Europeans,” he says, gesturing broadly with his hands. “We’re all about the warm food, the ambience. We need something substantial.”

In this case, that something is sausage. Specifically Bratwurst, grilled on a barbecue, served on a fluffy white sausage bun and generously garnished with spicy mustard.

Sontag, whose background is German, is an expert when it comes to sausage. He and his family own Food Depot International, an Etobicoke store that has been selling specialty European foods for 20 years.

Crammed with condiments and candy, cheese and meats, Food Depot caters to Canadians who hanker for a taste of home, whether that’s Germany, Switzerland, Poland or Ukraine.

Sontag expects business to boom during the World Cup. Clusters of colourful flags are on display among the groceries, and a large flat screen TV presides over the sausage cooler.

The store’s new centrepiece, put up especially for the tournament, means that no customer — or employee — will miss a match while at Food Depot.

“I wish we could serve beer,” Sontag says with a laugh.

When his family congregates, Sontag will offer cold beer — Beck’s, likely — along with grilled Bratwurst.

“There won’t be a lot of vegetables,” he says, noting that it’s easy to keep an eye on the grill and on the game while preparing sausage. “You need to keep it as simple as possible.”

The store, located on Eddystone Ave., just south of where Jane St. intersects with Finch Ave. W., specializes in foods from Nigeria and the West African coast.

Owner Joseph Ojo says his customers are excited about the World Cup, eager to see an African team win at least a berth in the semifinals.

“We will be glad to see one out of the two make it through,” he says, adding that he and his friends wouldn’t be against cheering for Côte d’Ivoire.

Plantain chips are a popular snack for soccer watching. Ojo sells Mr. John’s brand, a made-in-Canada chip composed of just three ingredients: plantains, canola oil and sea salt.

He says thirsty fans will likely wash down their chips with beer, fruit-flavoured Fanta or Malta Guinness, a non-alcoholic malt drink, from Nigeria.

In its first match, Nigeria had a 0-0 draw with Iran. Ghana started the tournament with a loss, conceding to the United States in a 2-1 game.

“We are not happy about that,” Ojo says. “We are now a little depressed.”

DISH: Plantain chips

STORE: Mosaic African Foods

LOCATION: 54 Eddystone Ave.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Mr. John’s Plantain chips. For one half of the 150 gram bag, about 33 chips

CALORIES: 402

FAT: 24 grams

SODIUM: 161 milligrams

CARBOHYDRATES: 46 grams

PROTEIN: 46 grams

The neatly organized shelves at Market-tino are as colourful as a packet of jelly beans.

There is a selection of electric-hued, fruit-flavoured sodas. Boxes of corn tortillas and crispy tostadas. Packets of spices. Bags of dried peppers. Several rows of matcha tea, including a hard-to-find brand from Colombia packed into a jewel-green box.

Anna Flores has owned the Latin American supermarket for seven years and knows her customers well, many by name. Located in North York, on Keele St., north of Wilson Ave., the store will be bustling ahead of World Cup matches as customers come to stock up on their favourite game day fare.

Then, as the games begin: “It will be very, very quiet,” Flores says. “People will be at home or at a restaurant, watching.”

With a host of Latin and South American teams playing in 2014, it’s hard for Flores and me to choose which treat to profile from her store’s shelves.

Happily, a customer offers assistance. In Spanish, she tells Flores that her family will prepare bean tostadas. Her hands move rapidly as she describes how she will make them. Some beans, she says, some cheese, a little lettuce, tomatoes, cream.

The Dish asked three registered dietitians for smart snacking tips to consider while watching the World Cup.

All three were not against indulging. After all, not every occasion has to be over-the-top healthy. But, they caution, that advice doesn’t hold true if you indulge every day of the month-long tournament.

“Hosting? Put out small plates,” says Carol Harrison. “Even if the food is indulgent the portions will be reasonable.”

“Spot a strategic location,” says Shannon Crocker. “Don’t sit or stand near the buffet, snack or dessert table where snacks are a constant temptation.”

“Load up on colour,” says Zannat Reza. “Enjoy your football faves, but also have a colourful veggie or fruit platter to nosh on.

“And play your own World Cup game. Enjoy watching the games, but also get outside and get into the action.”

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